President/CEO at The Funk Music Hall of Fame & Exhibition CenterThe Funk Music Hall of Fame & Exhibition CenterDayton, Ohio To establish a home for the legacy of Funk music by acknowledging the artists who brought this art form to life while show-casing the Funk experience. My biggest goal is to house and maintain memorabilia related directly to Funk music, where the general public and, specifically, children, can be educated about the history of Funk music. The center, located at 113 E. Third St. in downtown Dayton’s Fire Blocks District, will have its grand opening from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16 at the Dayton Metro Library, 215 E. Third St. in downtown Dayton. 8 Dayton acts you should give a funk about Dayton was "all the way live" even before Lakeside first dubbed it "The Land of Funk" in its swashbuckling 1980 hit "Fantastic Voyage." The city that gave aviation its wings also gave the world baselines it won't soon forget. In the 1970s and 1980s, southwestern Ohio - particularly Dayton’s west side - was known for its stable of funk bands whose influence can be heard in hip-hop, house and other musical forms popular today. The Ohio Players - the granddaddies of 'em all - have seen their songs sampled or remade by Snoop Dogg, Puff Daddy, Salt-N-Pepa, Soundgarden and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to name a few. Funk Music Hall of Fame & Exhibition Center architect David R. Webb said music fans can't ignore that the Players and other funky, funky musicians hail from the Gem City. "It was just that Marshall Jones bass," David R. Webb said. "Everybody look at the 'ow' sound of (Leroy) Sugarfoot (Bonner)."Here are just 8 acts that made this Midwest town one of the funkiest places on Earth. Ohio Players Formed: 1959 as the Ohio UntouchablesKey jams: "Fire," "Love Rollercoaster," "I Wanna be Free," "Pain," "Funky Worm," "Skin Tight," "Honey" and "Sweet Sticky Thing."​